Due to Saudi Arabia’s dependence on oil, there has been a shift in the royal family. Oil prices have been steadily declining in the past few years, going from $147 a barrel to $26 a barrel. The king has named his favorite son, Mohammad bin Salmon (MBS), Crown Prince. MBS wants to try to take the kingdom’s dependence off oil, help younger people get jobs, and increase women’s rights slightly in Saudi Arabia. He is seen as a reformer.
I personally think that this is an overall good thing for Saudi Arabia, especially with the push (even if it is small) for human rights. While the kingdom will not make any drastic changes in how it treats women or other groups soon, the small steps show a promising future. As for oil, it won’t be great for consumers if prices go up, but it will be good for the workers in the kingdom. Saudi Arabia should be taking its economy and finding other things to power it to find more jobs for the unemployed, and because the oil won’t last forever. I think that MBS will bring positive changes to Saudi Arabia, and we will wait and see what he does with his leadership.